Nalene Hamilton is steadfast in assuring she is not a serious runner. But for the 31-year-old South Carolinian, the proof is on the pavement.

Hamilton, an access authorization supervisor for Westinghouse, took part in the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend this past Labor Day. Now, she is set to take on the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend — a four-day event in January that will have Hamilton running a total of 48.6 miles.

“I want to stress that I am not a serious runner,” she says. “This is one of those things where you’re told you can’t do something, so you just want to do it.”

For Hamilton, the racing fixation began in 2015. She happened to be in Disneyland in California during the half-marathon weekend.

“That was really the first runDisney race I had ever witnessed, and I said I wanted to do it — for no reason whatsoever, because I absolutely hate to run,” she says. “I still hate running. But for whatever reason, something caught me and I wanted to do that race.”

That race consisted of a 10K the first day and a half marathon the second day.

Part of the allure for Hamilton was the connection to Disney.

“My family has taken me to Disney World every year, if not multiple times a year, for as long as I’ve been alive,” she says. “Coming up will by my 48th time at Disney World. We’re big Disney fans.”

This explains how the combination of Disney and running sparked her interest.

“And they really give out some awesome medals,” she says. “People told me to try the Disney races, because they aren’t as serious as other races and other racers. They really push you along and give you enough time to get through the races. Plus, you get to dress up in all the Disney costumes.”

Hamilton started training by participating in smaller races.

“Thank goodness for today’s technology, because there are apps for everything under the sun,” she says.

The apps Hamilton used put her on a running schedule and, once she got the swing of things, let her know when to run, jog or break.

“I try to keep with that pace — if it tells me to run, I run,” she says. “I have two days a week where I’m full on running. I try to run at least six miles. It doesn’t always happen, but I do try to stick to that. I swim a lot, so I can break it up a little.”

As for a diet, Hamilton doesn’t eat meat. Otherwise her eating habits aren’t strict: She eats salads and fish, but also pasta and pizza.

“I like to joke that I kind of live like a college kid at the moment,” she says.

Hamilton often runs alone, but the support shown by fellow runDisney participants is a big help. In fact, she refers to a race in which she didn’t partake as a moment that crystalized her affection for the runDisney runners.

“I was at Disney in January when the big Disney marathon was happening,” she says. “One of the races was actually canceled, which is unheard of, typically, because of weather. It was pouring, lightning and thundering, so they canceled the race. But these runners, even though they were going to get their medals anyway, ran all over Disney — at the hotels, at campgrounds.

“They were running to make sure they got their miles in, so that they earned the medals for the day. That was probably my proudest moment of being part of that group of people, because you could have easily said they would just give me the medal and I don’t have to run. But these people definitely made sure they earned it.”

Hamilton joined that group after completing the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend this past Labor Day — a 19.3-mile journey over two days.

The race began around 5:30 a.m., but runners had to be in their groupings as early as 3:30 a.m.

“You’re standing there for this exceptional amount of time, which you feel like is forever,” she says. “But once the race gets kicking, you have this adrenaline rush. You are trying to get through the race, and you don’t want to think about your run-walk intervals. You just want to get through the damn thing.”

She says the 10k wasn’t so bad. But the second day had its peaks and valleys.

“You have five miles to go [in the 10k],” she says. “No big deal, you can do that. But the next day, you are at mile eight, and you realize you still have five more miles — and you’re already done, physically.

“But the nice thing about these races is that not only do you run through the parks but there also is a lot of entertainment set up along the way. There are high school marching bands cheering you on. At this one, there was a classic car show that you ran through. And the people are really motivational, cheering you on and making sure you get through it.

“But there definitely is that time that comes when it is just you and the ground, and you don’t know if you are actually going to get through it.”

For Hamilton, it was an instance of mind over matter — one for which she had prepared by studying the course map prior to the race.

“I knew that when I got to the [Los Angeles] Angels’ stadium that I only had one or two miles left to go,” she said. “And being the big baseball fan that I am, I was really excited to get there, because not only did you get to run through the stadium but also that meant you only had a few more miles to the finish line.”

Finishing the race was a release for Hamilton.

“There was so much training for me, so many days after work going running and many mornings running,” she says

She references a quote she heard: “Medals are not just earned on race day. They are earned on early mornings, humid afternoons and holidays when you’d rather sleep in.”

“It’s just such a bittersweet feeling,” she says. “You feel great that you did it. It’s a relief that it is over. But then you start thinking about the next one, because you’re still on that adrenaline rush. You did it, and now you’re ready to do it again. There were definitely tears of joy after that one.”

Shortly after the race, Hamilton got a “19.3” tattoo. She plans to do the same after the 48.6-mile trek.

“It’s one of those things where I find that a lot of the runners I’ve met share that desire,” she says. “You’re permanently stamped with what you’ve accomplished.”

The 48.6-mile race she’s training for takes place January 2018: the four-day Disney World Marathon Weekend. And just like the last one, most of her motivation comes from people doubting her.

“Nobody in my family knows me as a runner, because I’m really not,” she says. “Them telling me there was no way I could do 19.3 miles, and now saying there is no way I can do 48.6 miles — well, we’ll see.”

If past performance indicates the future, no one should doubt that Hamilton will be sporting a new tattoo in 2018.